Guard for car-axle boxes.



Patented Nov. 2l, |899.

.1. s PATTEN GUARD FOB CAB AXLE BOXES.

2 Sheets-Shen l,

(No Model.)

ny VEN rol? A TTOHNEYS.

No. 637,280.` Patented Nov. 2l, |899.

J. S. PATTEN. vGUARD FUR CAR AXLE BOXES.'

(Application med Mar. Q 189s.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.;

/N VEN TOI? A TTOHNEYS.

WITNESS/5S 'me norms Prrsns co., mmuwo., WASHINGTON. lL i UNITED STATESJAMES S. PATTEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GUARD FOR CAR-AXLE BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,280, dated November21, 1899.

Application tiled March 9, 1898. Serial No. 673,248. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, .I AMES S. PATTEN, a resident of the city ofBaltimore, in the State of Maryland,have invented certain newand usefulImprovements in Dust-Guards for Oar- Axle Boxes, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact specification. Y

I have filed applications, Serial Nos. 617,069 and 633,985, for woodenand metallic dustguards, respectively, which have been duly allowed. Mypresent invention is in the same line and is the perfected result ofcontinued experiment and practical test on cars in regular service.

The several novel features constituting the improvements are hereinafterdescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, two sheets,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is in part a topview and in part a horizontal section of the guard. Fig. 3 is atransverse central vertical section of the lower member of the guard online 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a view, in part diagrammatic,illustrating the guard in position relative to the car-axle andaxle-box. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the axle, showing the guard inplace thereon. Fig. 6 is a face view of the upper member of the guard,showing the construction of the same as it comes from the mold. Fig. isa vertical section of the same on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a faceview of the lower member of thev guard as it comes from the mold orflask. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the upper portionof the same.Fig. 10 is a vertical section of the same on line 10 10 of Fig. 8. Fig.11, Sheet 1, is a detail sectionV showingareinforce or wear-button7clamped upon the wire spring.

The dust-guard is composed of three prin` y cipal parts or members A BC. The body proper is formed of the two metallic parts or members A andB, which are adapted to slide with the body members A B as to hold themin due frictional contact with the car-axle and also press them bodilyoutward against the rear wall of the pocket commonly provided inaxle-boxes y, as shown in Fig. 4.

One of the new features constituting the improvement is the constructionof the inner semicircular edges 1 and 1ad of the respective members A B,as shown best in Figs. 3, 4, and 10. The said edges 1 and la areprovided with rearward projections or ribs, and the entire edge thusbroadened or extended is beveled for the purpose of enabling thedustguard to be easily and quickly applied to the axle It has proven amatter of much diffrculty,involving considerable labor, delay,andannoyance, to apply dust-guards of this variety to car-axles, moreparticularly to force them over the collars of the same. This objectionis completely remedied or overcome by my improvement, since it enablesthe guard to be easily pushed on over the end or collar of the axle. Thesame constructionnamely, the provision of the beveled flanges 1 laf-willobviously enable the guard to be forced back over the shoulder of theaxle. It will be seen that the ribs before referred to not only providethe lateral extension of the beveled surfaces required to enable them toslide easily over the axle-collar or shoulder, but strengthen the guardmembers at a point where they most require it. The said members maytherefore be made quite thin and light at other points. In addition tothis function of the iianges 1 1"rL theygreatly strengthen the members Aand B transversely, and thus add to the durability of the guard withoutinterfering with its function as such.

Another improvement is the construction andi-application of a singlespring C, as shown, for holding the guard members A Bin due engagementwith a car-axle and for pressing it outward against the rear Wall of thepocket in the axle-box y, Fig. 4..

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the wire spring O is held engaged at itsmiddle with a lug 2 on the lower member A and extends rearward and alsolaterally and upward therefrom to cylindrical lugs 3 at the top of theside arms 4: of said member A and is coiled around said lugs .3, whenceits free ends extend to a lug IOO 5, formed integrally and centrally onthe upper member B, and on which they press downward. Thus the lugs 3are in effect fulcra for two elastic levers formed by the end portionsof the spring C, which tend to hold the said member B pressed inward ortoward the concave portion of member A.

To hold the spring C firmly in place without interfering with itsabove-stated function, I employ clasping or clamping fingers, whichbeing formed integrally with members A B may be bent over and presseddown on the wire, as shown. Two such fingers 6 are located contiguous tothe lugs 2, and two others next to the u pper lugs 3, and another one,8, beside the lug 5. When the parts A Bare cast, these several fingers 67 8 project from the formerat a right angle, as shown in Figs. 6 to l0,inclusive, by which arrangement the fingers do not interfere withdrawing the casting from the mold. When the wire C is applied to theguard, the pairs of fingers 6 and 7 are bent down upon the former andclasp it tightly, so that it is held immovable at those points, whilethe finger 8 on member B is curved over the intersecting ends of thewire, so as to confine them without interfering with their free slidingmovement on the lug 5.

The sliding joint between the members A B is formed of curvedinterlocking flanges 9 and 10 and rib l1. (See especially Figs. 1 and2.) The flanges l0 on member B are cast straight or projecting at aright angle, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, for the purpose of facilitatingdrawing the member from the mold, and are subsequently bent or curved,as shown, to engage with the correspondinglycurved flanges 9 of memberA. The rib 11, Figs. 6 and 7, of member B runs in the groove formed bythe bent flanges 9 of member A, and the flanges 10 of member B clasploosely over the flanges 9, thus forming a loose joint, which permitsthe members A B to slide easily on each other, While holding them in duelateral alinement when in use and at the same time permitting them to bereadily disengaged or put together.

Each memberA B is provided on its inner concave edge with a series ofsimilar separated ilanges or clasps 12, which are cast straight or atright angles to the bodies of the respective members, as shown in Figs.6, 7, and 8, similarly to the lingers or clasps before described. Thesaid flanges 12 are subsequently bent inward to clasp and firmly holdthe leather strips 13, which constitute wipers proper for the car-axleAt the middle portions of the wire spring C, Where they are subjected tofriction and wear with the axle-box y, I apply a reinforce 14, Figs. l,2, and 1l, Sheet 1, in the form of thick metal clasps, which are termedwearbuttons. The same are formed of split or slotted pieces of brass,malleable iron, or some other duly flexible metal, and they are appliedand secured to the wire C by compressing the sides or wings of thebuttons firmly upon the same, as indicated.

What I claim isl. The combination, with the two mem-l bers, adapted toslide on each other, of the integral wire spring secured at its middleto the lower member, and coiled about and held engaged with lugs formedon the upper portions or arms of said member, and its free endsprojecting inward, and means for supporting and confining such freeends, as shown and described.

2. The improved dust-guard comprising members which are slidable on eachother and provided with outwardly-extending ribs along theirsemicircular inner edges, the entire portion of the latter, thusthickened and broadened being beveled as shown and described for thepurpose specified.

The improved metallic dust-guard composed of two slidable members havingoutwardly-projecting flanges formed integrally with their flat bodiesadjacent to the concave edges of the latter', the said flanges beingflared or beveled in opposite directions, to adapt them to perform theleading function specified.

4. The upper member of the dust-guard formed of a metal blank having adue degree of flexibility and having a beveled flange on one side,contiguous to its concave edge, and the flexible flanges 10 and 12, therib 11, the lug 5, and flexible clasping-iinger 8, as shown anddescribed.

5. The combination with the slidable members of the dust-guard, of thewire spring applied and secured thereto as shown, and the wear-buttonsor reinforcements clamped upon the middle portions of said spring, asshown and described.

JAMES S. PATTEN. Witnesses:

AMos W. HART, SOLON C. KEMON.

IOO

